Midsummer with Elegance – LSIWC Researchers Receive International Awards

This year’s Midsummer celebration at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry was infused with a special spirit — and global recognition. Alongside traditional oak leaf crowns, cheese platters and freshly baked pīrāgi, the institute’s team celebrated two major achievements: the World Packaging Organisation Award presented to Dr. Ilze Irbe, and the Outstanding Paper Award granted to Dr.sc.ing. Jānis Rižikovs for a publication.

Global recognition for mycelium-based packaging

The mycelium composite material granules, developed by Ilze Irbe, Leading Researcher at the Cellulose Laboratory, are made entirely from natural and renewable raw materials – fungal mycelium and lignocellulosic residues (hemp and/or wood biomass). These granules are a sustainable alternative to conventional packaging materials – fully biodegradable and compostable, in contrast to expanded polystyrene packaging.

This innovation received the “Award for Packaging Excellence” from the World Packaging Organisation, presented on 30 May 2024 in Milan, during the IPACK-IMA exhibition. Among 550 entries from 40 countries, the Latvian innovation stood out for its sustainability, low energy footprint and aesthetic functionality.

In 2023, these granules had already won the Grand Prix at the national competition “Best Packaging in Latvia”, organized by the Latvian Packaging Association.

The LSIWC team congratulated Dr. Ilze Irbe and her team: Dr.sc.ing Inese Fiļipova, Dr.chem. Oskars Bikovens, Dr.chem. Laura Andže, Dr.chem. Anrijs Verovkins, and Bc.biol. Miks Kampuss. Special recognition was also extended to LSIWC Director Karīna Orlova.

The leading Jānis with a world-class publication

If one were to name the “chief Jānis” of this midsummer celebration, the title would undoubtedly go to Dr. Jānis Rižikovs, Head of the Biorefinery Laboratory. He is co-author of the publication Fully bio-based water-resistant wood coatings derived from tree bark, published in the high-impact journal Materials Horizons and recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Paper Award.

The study introduces a fundamentally new approach to wood protection – a fully bio-based coating derived from birch bark suberin acids and spruce bark polyphenols. The technology relies on the formation of hybrid particles stabilized in aqueous dispersion, ensuring water resistance, mechanical strength, and applicability without synthetic solvents or chemical crosslinkers.

This award-winning publication highlights the synergy between science and the bioeconomy, demonstrating how bark – an industrial by-product – can be transformed into a high-value, functional material with strong market potential.

From the lab to the wreath

In the elegantly decorated Pilot-Scale Hangar hall by Ph.D. Daniela Godiņa, the scent of cheese mingled with birch leaves and fern, homemade beer by Ph.D. Mārtiņš Andžs filled the glasses, accompanied by Dr. Uģis Cābulis’ culinary wonders – rhubarb chutney and marinated wild mushrooms. and the air was gently touched by jasmine blossoms and the sweet aroma of strawberries.

This Midsummer celebration proved once again: when the Institute celebrates, science celebrates too – with international elegance.